Edinburg is the state’s fifth fastest-growing city, a fact borne out by a drive around town in any direction. For Mayor Ramiro Garza, the surge in both brick-and-mortar development and street expansions is much appreciated. The former city manager and economic development director knows, however, that a city needs more than material growth to provide it with a sense of being and place. It’s why the mayor joined in recent…
As a child, Kendra Chyann Hernandez tried to negotiate with the tooth fairy for an increase in the rate paid for what was placed under her pillow. Kendra left a handwritten note, saying the teeth she was offering were worth more than $2. She asked for a raise to $4. Her mother, Josie Ann Hernandez, smiles at the memory. She calls up an old photo of the note on her…
South Padre Island is seeing rapid growth in its vacation rental industry and enjoys high average occupancy rates as compared to its Texas Gulf Coast competitors. It was a strength highlighted at a recent conference hosted by the Vacation Rental Managers Association of South Padre Island. There was also a list of challenges and areas of improvement cited at the mid-February meeting at the South Padre Island Convention Center. The…
The Vocational Nursing certificate of completion program at Texas State Technical College will host an open house on March 31. The event takes place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Lucio Allied Health Technologies Building at the corner of North Loop 499 and Jasmine Street on the college’s Harlingen campus. The college encourages prospective students with an interest in beginning the Vocational Nursing program next fall to attend the event.…
Texas added 58,200 positions in Feb. 2023, leading the nation in jobs added over the month. In February, the state reached 13,831,900 total nonfarm jobs. February also marks two full years of uninterrupted monthly job growth in Texas. Since Feb. 2022, 611,400 jobs have been added in Texas. The Texas seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased by 0.1 percentage points to 4.0 percent. However, the civilian labor force increased by 64,800…
Walk into The Roast House in downtown Brownsville and the first impression is how much space it occupies. The formerly cozy coffee shop on Alton Gloor Road in north Brownsville has grown dramatically since its move to downtown in the latter half of 2022. There’s 5,700 square feet of space put to use for community events, group meetings and of course, great coffee. The Roast House is a “full-blown coffee…
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and the HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division have announced an agreement to bring 30 resident physicians to Brownsville and McAllen by summer 2024, with plans to seat 150 total resident physician positions by 2029. Residents from the UTRGV School of Medicine will train at HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division affiliate hospitals Rio Grande Regional Hospital in McAllen and Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville. This is the first…
Luis H. Zayas, PhD, is the new UTRGV’s new provost and senior vice president of Academic Affairs. He will start his new role on June 1. From 2012-2022, Zayas served as dean of the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin. He is currently the Robert Lee Sutherland Chair in Mental Health and Social Policy at UT Austin while also holding an appointment as…
For the second consecutive year, South Texas College will host the Prevent, Treat and Beat Diabetes Symposium this week. The event focuses on raising awareness about one of the Rio Grande Valley’s most prevalent diseases. In collaboration with South Texas Health System, Prominence Health Plan and Unidos Contra la Diabetes, STC’s Nursing and Allied Health campus will host multiple events and activities regarding nutrition and exercise. The events are free and…
Food Bank RGV is the recipient of a $75,000 grant from the Morgan Stanley Foundation to expand food choices. This approach offers families, children and rural communities in Cameron and Willacy counties increased choice among available foods at Food Bank RGV’s partner agencies and program sites. The increase in choices provides healthy options and ensuring access to foods aligned with preferences and dietary requirements. Now in its second year, this…